


Golden Brown

by anja_writes



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27730174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anja_writes/pseuds/anja_writes
Summary: Jude and Cardan host a revel - drug triggers, i guess???
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Golden Brown

**Author's Note:**

> Summary: Jude and Cardan get high on Faerie drugs  
> Warnings: DRTM (don’t read to mum) NS (no sex) oh also some swearing, but we live in a free world, right??? at least we’re meant to.
> 
> ***
> 
> Argh ok thank the world for raining two days straight so that i could get this piece of crap done. dont hate its my first go and it is SHITTY fluff crap.

The girl with the short hair — Val — puts the powder onto the spoon. She holds it over the lighter and watches it bubble, golden brown. Once it’s melted, she sucks it into the syringe. Jude holds her arm out.

Cardan shakes his head, but only says “Just this once. Not again, ok, Jude?” Jude nods her head, but shakes her arm impatiently. She’s heard what Nevermore does and she wants to feel it for herself.

She falls back against the wall, laughing. She’s never felt this sort of power — it courses through her veins, fiery yet soothing at the same time. He sits next to her, back to the wall. She looks into his eyes — there’s something in them she can’t quite place. Some thing warm? She doesn’t care. She waves her hand, and his nose becomes long and pointy and twig-like. She collapses back into laughter, clutching her stomach.

“Jude,” he says to her. “Jude, stop.” His nose shrinks back down, but she keeps laughing.

“Cardan,” she says, gasping for air, “why the fuck didn’t you tell me about his earlier? This stuff… damn.” Her speech has lapsed back into a more mortal tongue. This doesn’t happen much. She waves her hand again and a golden apple appears in her hand she holds it out to Cardan, but his hand passes through it — it’s only a glamour. She giggles, and Cardan leans down and picks another apple up. This one’s golden too, but this time it’s real. He takes a large bite out of it and chews. Almost immediately the effects show. He leans onto Jude. Reaching around, he pulls her face towards hers and brushes his lips across her cheek.

“I love you, Jude,” he murmurs against her lips.

“Love you too, Cardan,” she replies. She kisses him, her mouth warm. They push into the crowd and start moving to the music. Cardan pulls her towards him, against his chest, but Jude stumbles and when they’re both this unsteady, all they can do is drop to the ground. They’re both giggling now, and they lie on the floor like two drunk idiots. But Cardan holds Jude close to him in an embrace that is both warm and slightly possessive at the same time.

“Don’t ever let me go, Jude,” he says.

“Not planning on it,” Jude says in response, and snuggles closer into Cardan’s chest.

They break apart, and a drunk-looking Cardan stands and holds out a hand for Jude. The Faerie fruit must be really strong if this is what it does to the High King of Elfhame. He pulls her up and they stumble awkwardly through their chambers. They’re packed with their friends and acquaintances. She spots Roiben’s silver hair and Ravus’s tall figure in the throng. The room sways — no, Jude does. She laughs again. She has never felt like this before. It feels good, to let go of a little control.

When they exit the chambers, Cardan whispers, “Be careful. If they see that the Queen of Elfhame is high, they’ll doubt your stabbing-them prowess.” Jude can’t seem to stop laughing. Cardan’s funny. The vines on the wall are funny. Everything’s funny. She waves her hand and the wall turns entirely pink. Her least favourite colour. Time slows. She stumbles and Cardan catches her. The wall isn’t pink anymore. Her vision blurs. Cardan turns them around, back to their chambers. She remembers him yelling, but she couldn’t hear it very well. The chambers catered, and the bed felt so soft, the sheets inviting. Somewhere there’s music playing. She can feel it in her bones. She can see it. Taste it. Cardan lies next to her. She wraps her fingers around his strong arms and pulls him toward her, kissing him. He melts against her and she feels a wave break over her. Cardan’s lips move down her neck. She closes her eyes.

Her head throbs. Sunlight streams through the chamber’s windows. She shouldn’t be awake. She groans and rolls over, nearly pushing Cardan off the bed. He makes a muffled noise and flops his arm over Jude.

“I don’t want to get up,” she says.

“Don’t have too,” he mumbles in to the pillows.

“My head hurts,” she’s right — her head throbs like nothing that’s every happened to her before. Even when she was run through by her stepfather it didn’t hurt so much. There’s a knock at the door.

“Tell me I’m dreaming,” Cardan moans, but the knocking just grows louder and more incessant. Jude rolls out of bed, wondering who could possibly want them awake during the day. It wasn’t even twilight yet — nobody should be awake at this hour.

“Your Majesty, I was wondering—“ the voice sounds like a servant’s. Jude blinks. The form in front of her takes a less blurry shape. It looks like a servant too.

“Could you wonder later, when I actually take petitions? Or are you too impatient to give a queen and her husband some sleep?” Jude’s voice comes out just as sharp and nasty as she wanted, despite her inebriation. She stumbles back into bed and Cardan’s arm snakes around her.

“What did they want?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” she sighs. “I don’t care right now. Let’s sleep some more, shall we?”

“You don’t want more?”

“Of what?”

“You know… Nevermore. It’s addictive to mortals.”

“No I don’t.”

“All right.”

“When you…” Jude’s voice drops. “When you asked me if I would ever leave you, and I said no, I meant it. You… You are mine.”

“And you are yours,” Cardan says. “You are you own person. Don’t feel like you have to be bound to me.”

“I don’t, Cardan, I don’t.”


End file.
